556 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL H18T. SOCIETl, Vol. XXVL 



Family TYPHLOPID^, 

 Genus Typhlope. 



Fletcher's Blind Snake — TypJilops Jletcheri (spec, nov.) 

 (After Mr. F. W. F. Fletcher of Rockwood). 



Specimens of a Typhlojjs very like braminus were collected for me from 

 Adderley, Pilloor, and Rockwood, They differ however from braminus, 

 in that the suture below the nostrils passes to the 2nd labial instead of 

 to the prseocular. Although this is the only difference I can find, it is 

 sufficiently important, I think, to claim for this the rank of a species 

 apart from braminus. Of the hosts of true braminus I have examined I 

 have never met with a specimen in which the lower suture from the 

 nostril was aberrant, and all the species of the genus I know show 

 wonderful constancy in the condition of the nasal shield, the nostril, and 

 the sutures proceeding therefrom. It would be interesting to know if the 

 many specimens in the British Museum referred to 7'. bramimis collected 

 by Colonel Beddome from the Anamallay and Tinnevelly Hills, have the 

 peculiarity now pointed out by me. 



Description — Rostral. — About one-third the breadth of the head, extend- 

 ing back to the level of the eyes. Nasals. — Not meeting behind the 

 rostral ; completely divided ; the suture below the nostril shorter than 

 that above, and passing to the 2nd labial. Prcefrontal, frontal and inter- 

 parietal — Subequal. Supraocular, prca and postparietals — Subequal. Prreo- 

 cular — About as large as the ocular ; in contact with the 2nd and 

 3rd labials. Ocular. — Large, in contact with the 3rd and 4th labials. 

 Suboculars. — None. Temporal. — One. Labials. — Four. Costals. — In 20 rows. 



The eye is beneath the suture dividing the ocular and supraocular 

 shields, and is distinct. The nostril is inferior. The tail ends in a small 

 acute spine. The diameter of the body is 1/40 to 1/45 the total length. 



Colour. — Dark uniform purplish-brown above paler beneath, where the 

 scales are pale brown except in the basal third which is deep plum coloured. 



Length. — Three apparently adult specimens measure respectively 6|, 5| 

 and 5f inches. One younger is 4^ and two others 2| inches. 



Habitat.— ThQ Nilgiri Hills at an altitude of about 3,000 to 6,000 feet. 



Beddome's Blind Snake — Typhlops beddomii (Boulenger). 



I obtained one specimen only of this little known species from Pilloor 

 and this was recovered from the stomach of a small Hemibunyarus nigres- 

 cens. It measured 5^ inches. 



As the specimen is damaged from digestion there is an element of 

 uncertainty in the identification. The following points which can be clear- 

 ly made out point to the specimen being Beddome's blind snake, viz., the 

 rostral is about one-third the width of the head, the nasals meet behind 

 the rostral, are quite divided, and the lower suture from the nostril is 

 about three or four times as long as the upper. Scales in 18 rows. 

 Diameter of body is about 1/42 the total length. On the other hand the 

 lower suture from the nostril passes directly backwards to the prseocular 

 (Boulenger's plate in his catalogue. Vol. I, 1893, Plate 1, fig. 3, shows 

 this passing to the 2nd labial). The eyes are invisible. The colour is 

 a pale flesh tint. If the identification is correct this is the first record of 

 this species in Hills North of Palghat Gap. 



Thurston's Blind Snake — Typhlops thurstoni (Boettger). 



When Boulenger's Catalogue appeared there were only two specimens 

 in the British Museum. It is satisfactory to record that I have now 

 obtained three more good examples, all from Rockwood Estate, Wynaad. 



